Kogi Guber: Election Petitions Tribunal begins sitting on Saturday

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja

Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, constituted by President of the Court of Appeal (COA), Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem, to handle petitions arising from the November 11, off-season governorship polls in the state is set to commence sitting on Saturday.

Mr David Umar Mike, Secretary of the Tribunal, disclosed this to newsmen in Lokoja.

The Tribunal Secretary stressed that the constitution of the election tribunal was in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) and the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended).

According to him, the Registry of the Tribunal has since opened for business at the state High Court of Justice complex, Lokoja.

“By God’s grace, the tribunal will be sitting this Saturday, Nov. 25. We will take exparte motions. This is because all we have at hand right now are the exparte motions.

“But the work proper may take few more days because counsel will have to go and start looking for documents at Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the rest of them before they file their various petitions, ” Mike said.

In the Nov. 11 Off-Cycle election, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 446,237 votes to defeat his closest rival, Muritala Yakubu Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who got 259,052 votes.

Senator Dino Melaye, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came a distant third position with 46,362 votes. (Ends)